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Protection of Children

Mandate of MINUSCA Child Protection Section

The MINUSCA Child Protection Section ensures that issues related to children affected by the conflict in the Central African Republic are integrated into the mission’s mandate and are responded to accordingly, through an appropriate institutional response.

The Section monitors the implementation of various Security Council resolutions on children affected by armed conflict through the following activities:

• Monitor and report on grave child rights violations for the attention of the Security Council as well as the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, pursuant to resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2225 (2015);

• Engage in dialogue with parties to the conflict to prevent and end grave child rights violations including the recruitment and use of children, killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence, abductions, attacks against schools and hospitals and denial of humanitarian access – including engagement for Action Plans and Command Directives to address grave child rights violations;

• Mainstream child rights and child protection through the strategic, technical and operational levels of MINUSCA including providing advisory services on child protection for mission leadership, and ensuring that child protection concerns are addressed through planning, operational responses, and training and sensitization on child rights and child protection for United Nations personnel;

Training and sensitization for parties to the conflict, international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as child protection related state institutions (social centers, police, gendarmerie, justice and detention facilities);

• Advocate for children and their rights with the relevant authorities;

• Ensure the establishment of an appropriate institutional framework for assistance to children affected by the armed conflict.

Key Achievements:

Inclusion of child protection concerns in Bangui Forum resulting in Bangui Accord signed by 10 armed groups, addressing release of all associated children;

Support to Government to ratify Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict (2002), ratified in September 2017 and provision of support to operationalize the Optional Protocol;

11,429 children (30% girls) released from armed groups;

Action Plan signed by Mouvement Patriotique pour la Centrafrique (MPC) and training and mentoring of MPC Child Protection Focal Points to roll out the Action Plan;

Command Directives issued by Unité pour la Paix en Centrafrique (UPC) and Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de Centrafrique (FPRC) in 2017 to prohibit recruitment and use of children and release all associated children.

How to contribute in helping children?

Inform the child protection section and report to the police and the gendarmerie all violations of children's rights, including:

Killing and maiming of children;

Rape and other forms of sexual violence;

Abduction of children (sequestration and kidnapping);

Attacks against schools and hospitals including personnel;

Recruitment and use of children in armed forces, groups and militias; and

Denial of humanitarian access through for example, preventing humanitarians from delivering their humanitarian functions.